


Precious Words

by skyhillian



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Gen, POV Third Person, Possible trigger warning for mentions of Self Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-04-13 18:42:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4533045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyhillian/pseuds/skyhillian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny runs into a fan that could use some comforting words.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Precious Words

**Author's Note:**

> Lyrics at the beginning and end are from "Run With the Hunted" by Skyhill

_Why must I walk this road all alone? Is this how I turn my soul into stone?_

Danny had decided to come along with Arin to one of Suzy's bug shows at Frenchie's. They hadn't announced he was going, and several people seemed very excited that Dan had come, too. By about forty five minutes into the little sale and show Suzy was doing, Dan had pretty much made his rounds about the room, and he was sure he had met nearly everybody. One girl caught his eye, though. She was sitting in the back near the bathrooms, chewing her lip and looking around nervously. Dan knew she was a fan because she was wearing a Ninja Sex Party shirt. She fiddled with the bracelets littering her arms while she observed the crowd.

 

Dan excused himself from the crowd, and as he approached the girl, he noticed her dark eyes widen. "Can I sit?" he asked, gesturing to the empty chair next to her.

 

"U-uh, sure! Yeah!" The fidgeting with her bracelets grew more intense.

 

"I noticed that I hadn't gotten to meet you yet," Dan said, giving her an easy smile. He could tell she was nervous and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. "I would have remembered meeting someone with such a kick-ass shirt." 

 

A small smile tugged at her lips. "I hear the lead singer's a real ham," she said quietly. Dan laughed, surprised that she had made the joke considering how out of her element she seemed.

 

"Are you enjoying yourself?" 

 

The girl brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and looked around the room. "I guess. I'm not all that into taxidermy, or at least not the bug aspect of it. They creep me out." Dan nodded in agreement. "I figured it would probably be the only chance I get to see Suzy and Arin in person, though, so... I didn't... really count on you being here."

 

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

 

She chewed on her lip some more. "It's a good thing. I just..." Dan could tell that she was quickly becoming overwhelmed. Hesitantly, he put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. 

 

"It's okay," he said quietly, "take your time."

 

She wiped at her eyes and stared down at her lap. "It's just that you're really important to me. It may seem stupid but your music really helps me when I'm having a bad time. Like, if I just need to breathe, I can turn on some Skyhill and your voice..." She trailed off and wiped at her eyes again. "If I need to smile I can sing some NSP and it's all okay."

 

"It doesn't sound stupid at all," Danny assured her. "Music does the same thing for me. I'm really glad that my music can do that for you."

 

"Some nights are harder than others," she said quietly. "And sometimes it doesn't work, and then I feel bad because you're there for me through the music but I can't  _stop_  myself—" 

 

"Hey, hey, hey," Danny admonished lightly, scooting closer and taking her hands in his. "Don't beat yourself up about it, yeah?" Now that he had her arms in front of him, he could see the massive amounts of scarring. She kept her head down, and he could tell that she felt ashamed.

 

"But—"

 

"There are no buts in this situation." Dan squeezed her hands slightly. "Will you look at me?" She hesitated, but thankfully, she looked up at him. Her eyes were shiny with unshed tears and her bottom lip was trembling slightly. "I want you to listen to me, okay?" She nodded. " _Everyone_  has their demons, whether they're a physical manifestation or a mental one. For me, it's rampant anxiety. As you said, some nights are harder than others. It's been ten years and I still have nights where I can't leave the apartment because I'm an anxious ball of shit.

 

"Just because I have a hard night or week or whatever, though, doesn't mean I've failed. I haven't failed myself or anyone else." Dan paused to tug a kleenex out of his pocket to hand to the girl. "Recovery is not a linear path. It has twists, and turns, and backloops, and  every kind of scribbled, fucked up shape you could imagine. It's not easy, and it never will be. When you take a wrong turn and things go shitty, remember that it's not the end of the world. It hurts, yes, and I  _know_  that you feel like you've let someone down, but you haven't. You're still here, and you're still going, and  _that's_ what matters." Without warning, the girl launched herself forward and hugged Danny tight. He could feel her tears soaking the fabric of his t-shirt, but he didn't give a shit. Instead, he rubbed circles on her back and let her cry.

 

"Thank you," she mumbled into his shoulder.

 

"No need to thank me. I just want you to remember that you're strong, no matter what happens." 

 

After a few minutes, she pulled back and when she noticed the large tear-stain on his shirt, she seemed visibly flustered. "I'm sorry—"

 

"It's no big deal, man," Dan said, smiling. "I'll dry. The important thing here is that you're okay. You good?" She wiped at her eyes with the kleenex again.

 

"I'm a lot better than I have been in a while, actually." She gave him a watery smile, and Dan decided that it was something she needed to do far more often. "After I stop looking like an absolute mess, could I get a picture with you?"

 

Dan chuckled. "You don't look like a mess, but take all the time you need." He pointed his thumb over at Suzy and Arin. "Those two idiots are my ride, so I'm not going anywhere soon."

 

"If you keep calling me an idiot, I'm gonna leave you here," Arin called from across the room, and Dan flipped him the middle finger.

 

The girl laughed, and Dan thought that it was the best sound he had heard all day.

 

 

 

_And as long as I keep standing, I can look ahead._


End file.
